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CNN Live Today

Church of Nativity Front in War

Aired April 24, 2002 - 10:11   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get back to the issue of Christianity, another cornerstone as the shrine marking the place that many believe was the birthplace of Christ. Pope John Paul II today prayed publicly for the end to this three-week long siege at the Church of the Nativity. But even as Israeli and Palestinian negotiators talk outside, there is movement within.

And we want to check in with Jerrold Kessel. He is in Jerusalem right now. He has an exclusive view from inside Manger Square -- Jerrold, hello.

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn. And what we are having now developing is a triple standoff situation. First in Ramallah on the West Bank, where of course, there is the isolation attempt by Ariel Sharon, Israel's prime minister, of Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian Authority president, at his headquarters in Ramallah.

Today there was a demonstration of supporters of Mr. Arafat in the Palestinian town, and they made absolutely plain there is no doubt in their mind who leads the Palestinians and who should be leading the Palestinians despite this isolation attempt by Mr. Sharon. But he is keeping away, Ariel Sharon, all other Palestinian -- top Palestinian negotiators and supporters of Yasser Arafat to come and meet with him as he meets with outside leaders today, for instance, the European Union people, who have been in there to meet with him.

The second phase standoff over the question of Jenin, that contentious debate over the refugee camp as part of Israel's wide military sweep against terrorist suspects during the fierce fighting there, and the question of whether the U.N. fact-finding commission can come and what is its mandate. Israel saying they should delay until their further assessment of what is precisely the mandate and who should be really on that fact-finding commission.

That is more in the sense of a standoff between Israel and U.N. Israel saying don't come until we have sorted this out. And Secretary-General Kofi Annan saying, no, the U.N. commission should be here by the weekend despite the Israeli reservations.

And then that third very, very painful standoff and almost desperate at the moment around the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, and despite the fact that it has been going on now for over three weeks, into its fourth week, there is a glimmer of hope that maybe they were heading into a new direction with the start of talks yesterday, were due to be started again, resumed again today. A question maybe they are heading towards resolution of this long standoff there, maybe they are or maybe they are not.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KESSSEL (voice-over): It has the trappings of a medieval siege, this holy land standoff. The Church of the Nativity itself appears largely unscarred, but there are scars all around, scars of desolation of the lengthy and occasionally bloody standoff, and fear of an unyielding struggle that's not yet over.

The tiny entrance to the 5th century basilica, through which pilgrims down the ages have passed, shut tight. A tank squats where tourists wandered past the longshot souvenir stores, letters left by Israeli soldiers await monks who choose to get out; 14 have done so.

The Palestinian flag fetters above the abandoned Bethlehem municipal building, snipers at the ready, a real siege.

(on camera): Despite the almost complete absence of movement here in Manger Square, there does seem to be now a distinct sense of momentum towards resolving this conflict.

(voice-over): CNN's team and another news crew are the first cameras to reach Manger Square since the start of the siege 22 days ago. Specific instructions from the Israeli commanders, keep under cover of the armored jeep. Palestinian snipers are in position to fire, they warn.

The Palestinians accuse Israel of trying to starve the wanted men out. Israel says dozens of young Palestinian boys are essentially hostage to the gunmen; so too, 30 odd clergymen, monks and nuns.

To make their point, the soldiers call out the abbot of the Armenian monastery. Father Ramsick (ph) says he and a 88-year-old monk are only two members of these eight-strong community left behind. He is angry with everyone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know what is going on in my convent, you see. It's all robbed, all looted. They broke it. Yes, broke it and took the chain and the crown.

KESSEL: They, he explains, are the Palestinian gunmen. They scare him, he says. Then he turns on the Israeli officers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are not helping. You are not helping me, no. How many will -- look, I am very angry. Why my (UNINTELLIGIBLE). He was shot by you.

KESSEL (on camera): Father, what will your prayers be tonight for ending this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please, please, don't -- I don't know what to say.

KESSEL (voice-over): Father Ramsick (ph) retreats into the gloom of his monastery, preparing to face the test of another dark and fearful night. A forlorn bell rings out from a church farther off in Bethlehem. Here, the bells are silent.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KESSEL: But, Daryn, if there was hope that the talks would lead to a breakthrough, no sign of that yet. And indeed today at the church, there was more shooting. The Israeli snipers shot a Palestinian. They said he was a gunman, one of the wanted men on the wanted list. They said he was preparing to open fire from the one of the church windows. He was taken away to an Israeli hospital, reported in serious condition.

And two others in that besieged church came out, two Palestinians. They were later identified as Palestinian policemen, unarmed. They came out. They said (UNINTELLIGIBLE). They too were taken away. The standoff continues -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Jerrold, I am just fascinated by the access you were able to get by going right up there and talking with the abbot. I could feel his pain as you talked with him and his frustration with both sides. What else were you able to see? And were you able to talk to anybody else when you got up so close to the church?

KESSEL: We did talk to both the negotiators, the lead negotiators on the two sides, and it was really fascinating to hear their approach. You are absolutely right to get back to the abbot. It was more than painful. You had the sense of this man caught in the middle, desperate. He told us that there were eight members of his community. This is an Armenian monastery, they call it a convent incidentally, beneath the Church of the Nativity on the side of it.

And he said that the others had gone away. He was desperate. I asked him, why don't you leave? He said, where should I go? This is my home, and I have to look after this holy place. Now, only he and the 88-year-old colleague were left behind. He really was in pain. And there was a very poignant moment when the Israeli officer said to him, well, we brought you something. Here is food. And he said, but I am a diabetic. Don't you know I am a diabetic? And they said, well, it is just bread, parcel of bread. He took the bread, and he walked back into the convent, a very, very distraught man, you could say that.

The leaders of the negotiations, interestingly, on both sides, both were saying contradictory things, both of them. And they both said, you know, we can solve this very, very quickly. Just let the other side accept our terms. But if they don't, both said, the standoff can go on another three weeks. It was really a fascinating but a very, very grim position, a grim situation there in that holy site.

KAGAN: Yes. It's clear for many of those people inside that it won't be able to go on another three weeks. But how it is going to end is anybody's guess at that point. Jerrold Kessel, thank you for that fascinating report -- really appreciate it.

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